Analysis of The Forerunners
George Herbert 1593 (Montgomery) – 1633 (Bemerton)
The harbingers are come. See, see their mark;
White is their colour, and behold my head.
But must they have my brain? must they dispark
Those sparkling notions, which therein were bred?
Must dulnesse turn me to a clod?
Yet have they left me, Thou art still my God.
Good men ye be, to leave me my best room,
Ev'n all my heart, and what is lodged there:
I passe not, I, what of the rest become,
So Thou art still my God, be out of fear.
He will be pleased with that dittie;
And if I please him, I write fine and wittie.
Farewell sweet phrases, lovely metaphors.
But will ye leave me thus? when ye before
Of stews and brothels onely knew the doores,
Then did I wash you with my tears, and more,
Brought you to Church well drest and clad;
My God must have my best, ev'n all I had.
Louely enchanting language, sugar-cane,
Hony of roses, whither wilt thou flie?
Hath some fond lover tic'd thee to thy bane?
And wilt thou leave the Church, and love a stie?
Fie, thou wilt soil thy broider'd coat,
And hurt thy self, and him that sings the note.
Let foolish lovers, if they will love dung,
With canvas, not with arras clothe their shame:
Let follie speak in her own native tongue.
True beautie dwells on high: ours is a flame
But borrow'd thence to light us thither.
Beautie and beauteous words should go together.
Yet if you go, I passe not; take your way:
For, Thou art still my God, is all that ye
Perhaps with more embellishment can say,
Go birds of spring: let winter have his fee,
Let a bleak palenesse chalk the doore,
So all within be livelier then before.
Scheme | ABABBX XCXXBB DEDEFF GXGBHH IJIJCX KLKLCE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 0100111111 111100111 111111111 1101010101 1111101 1111111111 1111111111 1111101111 1111110101 1111111111 1111111 0111111101 111010100 1111111101 110101101 1111111101 11111101 11111111111 101010101 111010111 1111011111 0111010101 1111111 0111011101 1101011111 110111111 111001101 1111110101 1111111 101111010 1111111111 1111111111 0111010011 1111110111 1011101 11011100101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,564 |
Words | 299 |
Sentences | 20 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 36 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 199 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 50 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 21, 2023
- 1:31 min read
- 141 Views
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"The Forerunners" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/15393/the-forerunners>.
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